Upcoming events

Jan. 20: KCAI will host its annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day celebration from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in Epperson Auditorium on the KCAI campus, 4415 Warwick Blvd. The program starts with a film at 11:30 a.m. and will be followed by welcome remarks from Jacqueline Chanda, Ph.D., president of the college; Andrea Khan, registrar; and keynote speaker Charles Coulter, journalist and educator. Birthday cake and punch will be provided. The event is free and open to the public. For more information, call 816-802-3435.

Lecture series to resume in February

“Current Perspectives,” a Thursday night series of lectures at KCAI, will resume in February. Speakers slated for the spring semester include ceramic artist Del Harrow; Susanna Coffey, Sellers Professor of Painting at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago; Jordan Bass, managing editor of McSweeney’s; Latino installation artist Pepon Osorio; and painter Angela Dufresne (’91 painting), among others. To find out who will be speaking, check the calendar on the home page of the KCAI website at www.kcai.edu. Information also will appear in upcoming issues of ARTNotes from KCAI. The lectures begin at 7 p.m., are free and open to the public and take place in Epperson Auditorium on the KCAI campus unless otherwise noted online. Pictured: A recent gathering of a “Current Perspectives” on the KCAI campus.

Hal Wert to speak at Kansas City Library event on World War II

This year marks the 75th anniversary of the year Europe faced what Winston Churchill called “the gathering storm” – a period of escalating political tensions that culminated in the German blitzkrieg of Poland and the outbreak of World War II. Hal Wert, professor of history, will be speaking about several of the key moments from this memorable year at 6:30 p.m., Jan. 22, at the Kansas City Public Library, 14 W. 10th St., in a program entitled “1939: Into the Abyss.” To RSVP for the event, visit www.kclibrary.org/rsvp/21944. Pictured: Hal Wert.

H&R Block Artspace kicks off 2014 with new Project Wall

The H&R Block Artspace at KCAI presents the new Project Wall, "Show Me the Money" (2013), created by Ahram Park. Park's image was selected by a panel of local curators and artists. The image used for "Show Me the Money" was taken at The Money Museum at the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City. The Project Wall is situated on the western facade of the Artspace and facing the intersection of 43rd and Main Streets. To learn more about the artist and this piece, visit www.kcai.edu/artspace/project-wall. Pictured: “Show Me the Money,” Ahram Park.

KCAI donates coats to the City Union Mission

KCAI faculty, staff and students came through this frigid winter season for this year’s holiday coat drive for the City Union Mission. Among the items collected were 80 coats, 17 hats, 16 pairs of gloves, 13 scarves, five pairs of boots and rubber shoes, two earmuffs and a blanket. Amy Gross, special events assistant in Advancement, spearheaded the drive. Pictured: The many items donated by KCAI faculty, staff and students for the City Union Mission.

Student updates

Brittany Plachecki (senior, illustration and art history) won the National Ag Day Poster Art Contest by The Agriculture Council of America and Meredith AgriMedia. Plachecki's poster was selected through a combination of online voting and screening by a nine-member panel. The contest theme was “Agriculture: 365 Sunrises and 7 Billion Mouths to Feed.” Plachecki will receive a $1,000 scholarship from Meredith AgriMedia and an editorial feature. She will receive a portion of the proceeds from limited edition prints and the original artwork will be on display in a public location. Pictured: Brittany Plachecki’s winning poster for National Ag Day.

Patricia Duncan (attended), perhaps best known in the Kansas City area for her unforgettable images of the Tallgrass Prairie, studied printmaking and photography at KCAI from 1967 to 1971, after earning a B.F.A. degree from Washington University in St. Louis. She now lives in Maine, where she is working on a series of paintings entitled “Memory of Trees.” For more information, visit www.patriciaduboseduncan.com/. Pictured: Patricia Duncan.

Shawn Powell (’05 painting and art history) opened his first solo exhibition at Chapter NY in New York entitled “Blue Tomorrows.” It runs through Feb. 16. In addition, he will be featured in Forma, an online publication, due to come out on Jan. 24. Pictured: “Black Forest,” Shawn Powell, 2013, acrylic on sheetrock, 18 inches by 15 inches.

Faculty updates

Corey Antis, assistant professor of painting, has a solo exhibition running through Feb. 22 at Haw/Contemporary, 1600 Liberty, entitled “The Head on the Door.” Gallery hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and noon to 5 p.m. Saturday. Antis’ work was recently included in a three-person show at Galerie Zurcher in New York and is currently being exhibited in Crosscurrents in Contemporary Abstraction at Taylor University in Upland, Ind. Pictured: “Untitled (Demo),” Corey Antis, 2013, acrylic, Flashe on panel, 11 inches by 14 inches.

Local KCAI-related exhibitions

Leedy-Voulkos Art Center – “Gorgeous & Outrageous: The Art of Tony Naponic,” (’74 painting) features more than 60 narrative and abstract paintings, drawings and works on paper by the artist from 1974 through 2002. It will be on view through March 1. Pictured: "Out of the Blue," Tony Naponic, 1985, 66 inches by 54 inches.

Red Star Studios – Elina Jurado (’13 ceramics) will have work available for purchase online at http://bit.ly/1j0hqbF through Red Star Studios’ “Digital Debut” series, which features regional, national and international contemporary ceramic artists. Her work will be available through January. Pictured: “Serving Bowl,” Elina Juardo, 2013, terracotta, 15 inches by 15 inches by 9 inches.

Red Star Studios at the Belger Crane Yard Studios – Jessica Brandl (’06 ceramics and art history), Guy Michael Davis (’03 ceramics), Misty Gamble, assistant professor of foundation, Roberto Lugo (’12 ceramics), Lauren Mabry (’07 ceramics), Katie Parker (’03 ceramics) and Bobby Silverman (’80 ceramics) are all showing work in “Ceramic Top 40|2013,” at Red Star Studios at the Belger Crane Yard Studios, 2011 Tracy Ave. The exhibition runs through Jan. 25. It features work by 20 artists over the age of 40 and 20 artists under the age of 40 curated through a process that combines invited and juried submissions.

In memoriam

Terry Lynn Beavers-Urdiales (’93 painting) died Dec. 24 at Truman Medical Center in Kansas City. Born in 1957, she was a lifelong Kansas City area resident. In addition to studying at KCAI, she attended Central Missouri State University (now UCM) in Warrensburg and also took classes at Johnson County Community College. She was formerly curator of the Bruce R. Watkins Cultural Heritage Center, and she was active in the community in various civic and social groups. She was president and owner of Foresight Fine Arts Studio and Gallery in the Vine Street Lofts complex in the historic18th and Vine district in Kansas City. Her murals can be seen on a wall at the Overland Park, Kan., Convention Center and also on the Pioneer campus of MCC-Penn Valley. She taught at Kansas City, Kansas, Community College and Johnson County Community College. Survivors include her parents, Elder Dewey H. and Mary R. Wade of Kansas City; her son and daughter Jamaal N. Jordan and Shaneika R. “Nikki” Jordan, both of Kansas City; a brother, Gary L. Wade (Vallorie) of Kansas City; two sisters, Wanda Marie Holland of Kansas City and Deborah Smith (Ronald) of Palm Coast, Fla.; and four grandchildren. Pictured: Terry Lynn Beavers-Urdiales.

Calls for artists

Artist applications are available for the 10th Annual KC Fringe Festival July 17-27 in the categories of experimental music/bands, fashion, film, performing, teen, visual and youth artists. The application deadline is March 15. For more information about the KC Fringe Festival or to download an application, visit www.kcfringe.org/index.php.

The call for applications for the fifth round of Rocket Grants Project Awards is open at www.callforentry.org. Deadline for completed applications is March 24; funds will be available to selected projects in June. Rocket Grants receive support from the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts and are developed and implemented though a partnership between the Charlotte Street Foundation in Kansas City, Mo., and the Spencer Museum of Art at the University of Kansas in Lawrence. For more information, visit http://rocketgrants.org/.

Opportunities list

KCAI’s Academic Advising and Career Services office regularly publishes a creative opportunities and career listing with employment, freelance, volunteer and RFQ listings for students and alumni. Download the current creative opportunities list here. Download the current career list here.